Life in District Two
by TonyaStark94
Summary: Has anyone ever wondered what Gale's life was like after the rebellion? Follow along with April, Gale's oldest daughter, who is too naive to the real world. She believes she is "in love" with her friend but when it comes to a job that takes up her time and she's torn between time and him. Besides being torn between that, something is brewing in district two's underbelly...
1. Chapter 1: Hit and Miss

Chapter one: Hit and Miss

Sirens. Two of them. A train whistle that keeps constantly blaring to warn people it's coming through. My dad is probably there at the train station getting ready to come home. He works in the weapons department. Some sort of designer or specialist. Built a new bomb that they used back in the rebellion war, killed dozens of people but some were innocent. My father never forgave himself of the young children's lives he took, especially the one medic Prim. I never understood why though and when I asked my mother would always hush me or give me a look and my father would say it's too complicated. Then when I suggest quitting his job he shakes his head and says, "It's better than being a miner.". That's right he used to work in the pits of coal mines, in the belly of the earth. I look to the other side of the room where my sister sleeps numbly through a hovercraft going over the house.

It's eleven at night in district two, everyone should be asleep except my mother is waiting for my fathers arrival listening to some sort of music that has a twang to it. After drowning out her horrible music, which doesn't take much, there's finally silence. I snuggle down into the silky blue sheets of my bed and force my eyes shut. It's not even five minutes later when my father trudges through the door with his steel toed boots leaving a thunking sound where ever he walked. He's whistling as usual. There had been a time when he never whistled when he came home but ever since he found out that mother was pregnant again with a boy he's been whistling ever since. It's been six years since Nathan was born and yet my father continues to whistle with excitement. "Dinner's in the fridge." I hear my mothers muffled voice speak. I hear my father go into the kitchen and rummage through it. More whistling. I cover up my head with my blanket hoping it would drown out the sound of mother and fathers conversation. It didn't. "You're knitting? Since when do you knit?" My father scoffs clearly talking with his mouth open. He had poor table manners, he would usually stuff his face with food as if he hadn't had enough. But my father used to live poor and barely eat anything so I guess he eats what he can get and tries to fill up the void in his stomach for the tireless nights in which he starved.

More thumping from outside my room in the hall. It's my dad again, headed towards the bathroom per usual. I hear a squeak of the facet and a spraying sound of water that was beading off a wall. A shower at eleven at night may seem weird to people but in this house it's normal. Dad almost always comes home late the first two weeks of the month. That's when his "projects" are due at the train station and it takes the train at least forty five minutes to get from district four to district two. I flop over on my stomach and burry my face onto my mattress instead of my pillows. Maybe this should help me get to sleep. No dice. I end up staring at the lilac colored wall wondering about the most insane things like what if the earth ripped open right now, or if someone just came inside and started shooting us. Shootings are common in district two but, they rarely happen over in this neighborhood although it's always nice to be cautious. You would've thought that after the rebellion that everyone would be nice to each other and hold hands and sing folk songs around a campfire but that undoubtedly was wrong. There still was obviously a government but, a more just one that doesn't require kids to go into the hunger games but, it has it's kinks. Such as people who were poor before the rebellion, were still poor and they couldn't understand why. Actually there's a difference in the poor. The one's that you can tell were poor before the rebellion and the one's who became poor after the rebellion. The poor people before the rebellion made themselves useful and actually tried to work to get to a better place like dad did. But the people who became poor because of the rebellion were mean and nasty. Wouldn't work for the minimum pay, always thought of themselves better than what they were and thought they deserved to be treated better because they used to have a mansion in the Capitol and blah blah blah.

About ten minutes later my father is hopping out of the shower and putting some clothes on along with the sound of another hovercraft going above overhead. A moment of silence passes after I hear my father leave the bathroom whistling but it doesn't last long. There's a tinkering sound in my room now along with a thumping. I look up to see my sisters lizard running throughout her tank. Thumping her snout up against the glass as if she could escape, then swerving her way over to her food dish which was completely empty. She was a fat lizard, father says that if he found a lizard her size in the woods when he was younger he wouldn't hesitate to eat it. Then again he did go hungry to provide for our aunt and uncles and grandma. Her lizard cast out a shadow against the wall along with scraping sounds from her talons against the glass. I've had about enough. I wrap myself in my sheets like a cocoon and stood up facing the white door and turn the golden handle.

I walk out into the living and my parents are watching something on the telescreen. "April, what are you still doing up?" My mother asks shocked. I walk past her and out the back door onto the enclosed patio. I shuffle my way over to a bamboo couch with some green, white, and pink floral patterned cushion on top of it. I flop myself down on my stomach on it and try to make myself as comfy as I can. "April?" My father calls from the window in the kitchen that is literally above the couch. I open my tired and frustrated eyes in irritation. "Too noisy. Can't sleep." Was all I could say. I hear him chuckle to himself. "Ok, miss survivalist." And he shuts the window leaving me with peace and quiet for once. I look out and see bright lights of bustling downtown district two shining and twinkling like stars. But over hear, out of what city we have there's actually stars that glow dimly across the midnight sky and accompany the moon with lighting the way of anyone who roamed the streets aimlessly at night. Taking care of them, letting them see what would be invisible without them. But it's the flashing lights of downtown that has me drawn to it. And slowly while watching the life of the city go on by me I finally drift off to sleep.

"April!" Someone shouts and I wake with a start, jumping up from the couch. No, wait. I look down and see that my mattress is underneath me and that my head was lying on a pillow before. Dad must've brought me in. I rub my face before looking to the door and seeing my mothers outline against the light from the hallway. It must still be early. "Have you seen your father's lunch pack?" She asks. I shake my head sleepily and groan while I rub my nose. "That's all I needed to know." She says satisfied then shuts the door. "Gale," She calls for my father from what seems to be the other side of the house. "Artie," I hear my father condescendingly call back. I smirk into my pillow my parents were so weird.

A couple hours later I'm up with the complete intention of faking that I'm totally happy and awake inside when really I'm tired and grumpy and just want to go back to sleep. I pull out my outfit for the day which is a dark blue tshirt, a grey long cardigan, some dark jeans, and hunting black boots my dad gave me as a gift this year since my old ones were getting holes in them. I pull my dark hair up in a messy bun and place a golden locket around my neck to remind me that I do in fact have a family who cares for me enough to pass it down to me. I stare at myself in the mirror for a while and pick out my imperfections. My upper lip is slightly bigger than my bottom lip, I'm beginning to have dark circles under my eyes from my sleepless nights, my freckles are starting to show up more prominently than before.

Why am I getting up at nine thirty in the morning on a Saturday, nonetheless, in June? There's a knocking at my door and my mother opens it. I can hear the cheesy smile in her voice as she greets, "Hi Nim!" Nim. That's the reason. The only one who understands how it is to have a weird family like mine. Only his is a lot bigger than mine. Four brothers, two sisters, and a cousin that all live in the same house just down the road. I walk out of the bathroom to see his sun tanned face and freckles spread perfectly across his face. His shaggy, strawberry blonde hair hangs just above his crystal clear brown eyes. He's wearing a white tank top underneath a red plaid flannel, with muddy light jeans, and muddy work boots, accompanied by a matching pair of dirty what used to be white gloves. "Hi, Mrs. Hawthorne and Miss Hawthorne." He greets both my mother and myself as he places his hands on his hips. Nim and I have been friends for I don't know how long, we met when we were thirteen and now we're growing up together. Can't you smell it? _Sniff_. I'm girl next door material. He was my first kiss as was I to him, we had it in the field behind my house and I remember how tingly it made my lips feel. His only means of persuasion was that Dipper and Alessandra were seen kissing behind the garbage at school and that he wanted to try it but he figured it'd be weird if he did it on some random girl rather than his best friend. I haven't viewed him the same way ever since then. Although I don't think he really cares for me in that way.

"Ready?" He asks me while handing me my bow from the closet. Yeah that's right I have a bow. Why? Because my father was a survivalist and I can be one too. Only I've never really caught on how to technically use this thing in the right form. My father took me out in the woods one day and tried to teach my how on squirrels and quails. All moving targets and I couldn't hit a darn thing. So I learned it my way which was to close my eyes, release the string and hope that it hits something, which ten percent of the time it does. I think Nim keeps me around for the company and for my oh so humorous quips I have about nature and how I secretly loathe it when in reality I sort of like it. My mother rolls her eyes at me when I accidentally clunk the black bow on the side of the kitchens entrance.

In a few short steps I'm out the doorway that Nim has held open for me with a polite, "After you.". Soon we're trekking through the tall wheat field to the woods from across the ways from my house. "Nice weather out today. I saw some deer cross the road into the woods while walking to your house. It'd be a nice meal given if you can shoot them." Nim teasingly nudged me then grabs an arrow from my quiver and starts swatting the wheat around us like he was chopping down jungle vines with a sword. It was fun until the arrow hit something that went THWAP against it. A pain filled yelp came from the object that had been hit with it then, up pops the tailors son Jaxon rubbing his lower back where Nim had hit him. Jaxon was more or less annoying and weaker than I was, a shallow weasel that could get an unsuspecting girls number in a heart beat. All he had to do was flash that dazzling smile of his and they'd be hooked. I only say this because I was once hooked by Jaxon's clever routine.

"Watch what you're doing, lumberjack." Jaxon hisses towards Nim who just sits there with an angry frown placed upon his face, he held the arrow behind his head with both his arms draped over either side of the arrow slightly bending it. Nim's not usually the type to get upset with people, no. That's my job. "What are you doing over here you overgrown weasel?" I ask annoyed that he was over on Nim and I's turf. A girl pops up beside him. Little Pansy Parker with her snooty red hair and pointed nose, not so innocent anymore now are we? "Of course. Off my property or I'll mistake you as a deer and shoot you." Jaxon dryly laughs. "You can't shoot anything, miss 'sharp shooter'." Nim points the arrow directly in front of Jaxon's nose who in turn squeaks and moves back a bit. "Who says I can't?" Nim says almost deadly. Jaxon merely chuckles lowly and shoves the tip of the arrow away from his face. "Because my father is more powerful than your mother," He points out and Nim let's out a low grumble of disapproval. "And you," He lowers his gaze on me. "With as powerful as your father and mother are and how skilled your father was with a bow, I thought you'd be more classy and skilled, Miss Hawthorne." Jaxon says in an uptight voice.

He grabs ahold of tiny Pansy's hand and leads her back towards the dirt road. "He's got a lot of nerve." Nim says as he stares at the two making their way down the road, Pansy holding practically most of her top in her arms against her chest for warmth. "She's kind of cute. Don't know what she sees in a guy like that." Nim goes back swatting the wheat like he has a sword as a pang of jealousy hits me straight in the chest and could probably be seen on my face. Nim had always been my go to guy and one of my best friends, surly he can't be serious. Someone, as prissy as Jaxon? Well I did fall for Jaxon so maybe it's possible that he's developed feelings for her.

I trudge through the end of the wheat field where the woods begin. At first there's no signs of life, she a few birds in the trees but as we venture further into the heart of forest there's life springing from every inch. Green miss coating the trees and sharp jagged rocks, a tiny river running through the middle. That's where the hunting happens. Well at least that's where Nim's hunting happens and my quiet patient waiting skills are displayed. About twenty feet away from the river Nim stops me in my tracks completely and pulls me behind a pine tree. "What?" I whisper angrily towards him.

He places his fingers to his lips and points straight ahead of us to a tree. I look closely at it and realize there's a damn possum hanging from one of the branches. I roll my eyes almost as if I'm scoffing at his target. He sees this and shoves the bow at me which sends me staggering off balance. He points to me then to the possum. He wants me to shoot it. "What! No way!" I whisper angrily towards him. He gives me a stern look and then points to me and then back to the possum. I cross my arms and shake my head while shutting my eyes. I open them to see a frustrated almost bored look on Nim's face, he gestures with his eyes over to the possum. I throw my head back in a whining fashion and then trudge my way where I can get a straight shot at him.

I go back to grab an arrow from my quiver but none are there. In fact I can't really feel my quiver at all actually. I spin around in a circle trying to find one probably drawing the attention of any predator in the woods as helpless and defenseless. A pair of strong arms stop me and I realize Nim has stopped me from twirling. He reaches to my back and brings an arrow in front of my face. "Shoot." He mouths and steps back a bit. I grumble as I put the arrow in it's correct spot and draw it backwards. Nim holds up a hand as if to stop me and then closes the distance in between us. He pushes down on my elbow, props up my hand that's supporting the bow, and moves my shoulder backwards then stares at my form. Not my hands the most but something with my torso. One arm is folded the other propped up on it so his hand could cover his mouth. "Shoot." He says shrugging his shoulders. I stare at the possum innocently hanging upside down from the tree unsuspecting anything. My hands start trembling and shaking as the pressure sets in. If I shoot this I can take it home as a trophy and maybe Nim will say I'm kind of cute. If not I'll be the laughing stock of my family and I won't get Nim.

I notice Nim is closing the distance between us again only this time he gives me a concerned look. He settles my arms back down by my side and takes the bow with the strung arrow in it out of my hands and into his. Without even thinking he draws back and sends the arrow flying, hitting the possum square in the middle of it's back and pinning it to the tree. My shoulders slump a little bit as I watch this happen, then I feel his huge hand on my shoulder. "You'll do better next time." He encourages me with a small smile. I give a half hearted smile back. He turns to look at his prize hanging from the tree and places his hands on his hips. "You skin it and I'll let you tell your dad you shot it again?" He suggests almost with a hint of teasing in his voice as he stuck out his right hand. "Deal." I say as I grip his large hand in confirmation.


	2. Chapter 2: Don't Let Me Go

Chapter Two: Don't Let Me Go

A few hours later in the afternoon by the river I'm done gutting and skinning this poor possum, and two more poor rabbits that were stupid enough to get in Nim's way. "How am I going to shoot a deer without your help?" He asks me while sharpening the end of a stick that he found on the ground with a rather large knife. "You know you should be glad I'm here." I beckon back to him with a small smile. I see him perk an eyebrow and lean towards me. "Oh yeah? Why's that?" He eggs on in a condescending voice. I grab the last skinned rabbit in my hand and crack the rib cage making a sickening crunching noise that makes Nim gag and cover his ears. "Because you can't gut worth shit." I say picking and scraping out the lungs and heart, I toss those into the river. "You know that stuff makes me sick." He shouts turning his back towards me. I roll my eyes and grab all his game in one hand and navigate my way to him, jumping from rock to rock being sure not to step in water.

I tap on his shoulder with a semi clean hand and ask for the game bag which he hands to me without looking in my direction. A hunter who can hut but can't skin? He's no better than me not shooting...ok well maybe a little. I shove each carcass into the bag and tighten up the loop hole that my father has devised for it. "You're clear." I mention as I toss the sack into his lap before going to the river and washing my hands clear of blood. The cool water made my hands numb as I scraped under my nails trying to get as much out as possible. I could feel his presence lurking behind me, that and I could see his reflection in the stream. "Your family was from district ten, how would you survive if you lived there now." I scold him and he rolls his eyes.

"Your family lived in district twelve, how would you survive there if you couldn't hunt?" He retorts and I stare at the trees in front of me before letting the comment go. "I wouldn't be here. Dad would be with that Katniss Everdeen girl instead of with mom." I explain, twitching at the sound of her name. It had never sounded appealing to me and I was glad that she broke my father's heart and went for the baker Peeta while leaving my father in the dark. I stand up and poke Nim's crooked nose and standing closer than usual. "So you should be happy I'm even here." I say before going to the willow where he was sitting under and trying to climb it.

"Would you get down from there? You're gonna hurt yourself and I'm going to have to drag you home." Nim cautions me from below on his rock, staring above at me. I rest my legs on the side of a beach and lean the rest of my body down hanging like a monkey. "Hey look I'm a possum, aren't you gonna shoot me?" I tease him while tucking my shirt into my pants so my stomach won't show. "I'm seriously thinking about it." He put a hand to his hip and threw the game bag over his shoulder. "Aww you wouldn't know what to do without me." I pretend to pout as I cross my arms still upside down. Nim looks above me and his face turns grim. "April, don't move." He says slowly. Automatically I start to freak out in my mind. "It's a cougar isn't it?" I squeeze my eyes shut and place my hands over my mouth as if to slow down my breathing. "I'm coming up." Nim says cautiously and throws himself up over the branch and slowly works his way up to where he could look at me face to face.

Fear over took my body, I was breathing hard, my body trembled as I looked into his deep brown eyes. "A-are you gonna shoot him?" I whisper terrified. "No because there's nothing there." He retorts and relaxes into a smile. "What!" I yell and flail around to see if there was anything in the tree with me only to see nothing. "Why would you do that?" I yell at him still swinging around from flailing. He heartily chuckles and stops me from moving. We stare at each other in silence for a little bit before he brushes my cheek lightly. "Hold still." He orders me and instinctively I ask where the threat is it. "There's nothing," He reassures me. "Trust me. Just hold still." He orders me again as my nerves calm.

Again he strokes my cheek and pushes what of my hair is still clinging to me away from my face. Oh my gosh it's happening. I want to almost squeal in excitement and grab him by the neck and pull him into a kiss but I have to see if that's what he's doing first. He leans in, the tip of his nose touching mine, eyes starting to close. Yep, he's totally going to kiss me and I'm going to get what I've been wanting all these years. I slowly start to lean towards him with my eyes shut all the way until something stops me. I drop a couple of inches so now my eyes are at his neckline and he's about to kiss my neck. "Uh Nim," I say quietly.I drop another inch and instinctively I grab onto Nim's forearms. "Nim." I say in a more alarming tone. This snaps him out of it but I'm gradually slipping at an alarming rate. "Nim!" I shout as I'm almost to my ankles. "Hold on!" He grabs my torso and tried to haul me in but it doesn't work. I conk my head up against the branch so hard that I see stars. Nim has me by the calves and is trying to hoist me up but I'm afraid I'm dead weight but I can't do anything but look at the sharp rocks that are facing me below. If I fall I die. "Gotcha!" A pair of hands grab me by the waist and haul me in towards the branch.

They weren't Nim's hands that pulled me in they were slightly smaller. "Thank you," I say to my savior as I brush down my pants. I look up to see the face of my hero. "Dad?" I question as I see my father's worried yet thankful expression on his face. "Are you ok?" He wonders while pulling me into a bear hug and almost squeezing what life I had left after dangling from that branch. "Fine, fine, a little light headed but fine. What are you doing out here?" I ask while I pull back from the hug. "Your mother said you'd be out here. Lucky for you it was easy to find you with that horrific trail you left behind you. What were you doing acting as if you hacking down vines in the jungle?" He questions me with his hands on his hips just as Nim hops down from the branch above. I narrow my eyes at my best friend then back to my dad. "That's exactly what I was doing with my arrow, pretending it was a machete and chopping down greens. It'll never happen again." I cover for Nim who gives me an apologetic smile in return of the favor.

"And you," My father turns around to Nim who looks taken back by his sudden scolding. "If you ever try to kiss my daughter like that again I'll shoot you from ten miles away. Understand?" He makes his point by waving a finger in front of his face. "How did-" Nim went to question him but my dad simply points to the tree over the right of us. My dad had always been the greatest hunter and tracker I know and so does everyone in district two. Nim's face grew bright red with embarrassment and he held his hands up defensively. "S-sir you've got it all wrong. I was just trying to whisper something in her ear." Nim vouches for himself. Instantly my heart cracks into a million itty bitty pieces. I thought that was what he was trying to do but it turns out I had been wrong. My face drops and I look to the rock below me. I wonder how bad it'd hurt if I fell on top of them? I decide that's too low for me and just shove my feelings into the back of my head and push forward the fake feelings.

I bite my bottom lip so the quiver I can feel coming up in my voice stops. I clear my throat at the boys staring contest and draw their attention. "Maybe we should all go home?" I suggest with a shrug and look down to the branch. My father places his hands on his hips again knowing there was something wrong then glares at Nim again. "I'm gonna be hunting some more. Take your game and head home." He instructs me and I nod before climbing down. "Mimi," My father beckons me when I'm on the ground and just starting to walk away. I hated that nickname. It had been a word I used when I was little so it became somewhat of a nickname for me from my parents. I turn around and glare up into the tree at the branch my father is in. "What'd you catch today?" He asks.

_Shit_. I want to say nothing but then he'll give me the disappointment speech later along with what district twelve was like before the rebellion. "A possum." Nim speaks up for me looking back at my father. "She skinned it and everything." My father rubs his chin at Nim's unsuspecting quip and squats down. "That's my girl," He smiles down at me. Already I begin feeling guilty. "Alright take it to your mother, I'll bring some things that'll go with it and we'll have it for dinner tonight." He says then raises from squatting. "Get her home safe, Nim." He orders him and gives a little salut before climbing down and trudging through the stream the opposite way of us.

It's a silent walk home since I didn't have anything to talk about that was either silly or important. I didn't want address the somewhat kiss we had earlier because what if he wasn't kidding and said he was just going to whisper. I walk back to his house first so he can drop off his game in the freezer. I'm instantly greeted by Apple, his loving and wise mother, who is carrying around a hurt Buck who skinned his knee on the dirt road. We go out the back white door which creaks when it opens and head towards what a small barn would appear to be.

Inside helping Grace feed a cow is the one and only, beautiful, Barley. Her lightly tanned skin went well with her freckles and pale brunette hair with gorgeous green eyes. She was about a year older than me and always helped Apple out around the house since it's mostly filled with people. She flashes a dazzling white smile towards Nim. "Hey Nim," Barley greets flirtatiously with a cute giggle at the end. She stood up and showed her long lanky, tan, legs in shorts with a grey plaid shirt and a tan cowboy hat complete with cowboy boots. "Did'ya have fun huntin' n' all?" She asks playing with her hair and biting her bottom lip. "Sure did. Got two rabbits and a possum. But the possum's going to Miss Hawthorne over here who invited me to to go along with her even though I damn near killed her today." He explains while opening the bag and placing the raw rabbits in a freezer.

"Well shit sugah are you alright?" She asks me while gripping onto my arm for good convincing measure even though I'm sure she'd love it if I had died today. "I'm fine." I say shortly towards he and she let's go of my arm. Who better than to walk in at a time like this than Nim's year younger brother, Nod. They literally look identical, only Nod has a little ball at the end of his nose and blue eyes and a slightly less bulky build. "What'd you bring us for dinner tonight, captain?" Nod asks saluting mockingly towards Nim. "Fend for yourself." Nim replies with an edge to his voice then walks out. Nod looks at me as if to say what he did wrong but I shrugged while looking into his light blue eyes. Yes, yes, Nod of course was age but I tend to like Nim a little more because well Nim's kinda like me and you all that junk I said earlier.

But it's not like the two weren't the swoon worthy brothers that ruled the school. I quickly followed the large strides that Nim took to the side of his house heaving Nod and Barley behind in the barn. He washed his hands of all the raw blood that was on the skinned animals from the hose that lead deep beneath to the water supply looking sourly to the ground. For some odd reason Nim got this way when Nod wanted to converse with us, he won't even take Nod hunting with us when he asks. Seeing Nod must've put him in a bad mood. "I, uh, best be going." I say as I take my game bag that he had plopped on the ground.

He wipes his hands off on his plaid shirt and sticks up his hand for a high five. I immediately smack it and he closes his hand around it and pulls me into a tight hug. I have only received a hug everyone once in a while from Nim so I cherish and relish in the moment. "I thought I was going to drop you today." He says leaning his chin on the top of my head. I smile into his chest at the thought I had him worry about me. "No more climbing trees unless it's necessary." He scolds me as he pushes me away to clamp his big hands on my shoulders and look at me in the eyes. "Can't loose my best friend. Understand?" He continues to drill me on the subject the whole walk back to my house until it's time to say goodbye. In the house I hand my mother my game bag and say that dad wants her to do something with it for dinner. Right away she gets up and starts clamoring around in the kitchen while Nathan plays with some kind of car he got on the coffee table.

I go out the back slider and sit on the couch as I watch the sunset trying to procrastinate so my mother wouldn't call me in to help her out with cooking. She wasn't a great cook herself but I was worse that her and that's saying a lot. Around six in my room I hear my father clunk in with his hunting boots. Not as heavy sounding as his work boots but still making a thudding sound whenever he walked. The aroma of my mothers stew wofts into my room as my father opens it to announce that it's dinner time.

I sit myself down at my usual spot at the dining room table and watch as my mother brings out some type of stew with the possum in it. It looks disgusting but it tastes good. I look across the table at the empty spot where my sister, Natalie, is supposed to sit. "Where's Nat?" I ask while scarfing down a bite of meat. "At Nycole's. The usual." My mother waves her hand in front of her face as if it's not big deal. My father blankly stares at me from the end of the table, slurping up what he can get. "Did you meet up with your father today?" She asks me and I stare at my father in panic knowing that if she found out that we had met up when I almost died today she'd freak out.

"Uh..." Was all I could spit out before my father interrupted me. "I caught up with her just as her and Nim were leaving the woods. Said that Nim needed to be home around that time to babysit while his mother went to the store. She caught the possum today that we're eating." My father saves me from a lecture she'd give us both. Mine about my recklessness and his about his timing. I give my father a thankful nod and he replies with the same one. "You know, April," My mother addresses me probably about the meal Nim caught for me but I took credit for today. "You're almost eighteen, which means you'll be able to apply for a job now." Oh no, she's not going to suck the money out of me now is she?

I've always hated the idea of waiting until you're eighteen to get a job, it's like **bam** you get one and you're parents are asking you to leave without getting your feet under you. "We've been talking," My father speaks up now and gestures between mom and himself. "That you could take a nice paying job at the factory that I design things from. But I want you to go in early as an internship, you'd be my shadow." An intern at a bomb and weapons factory? You're kidding right? It just reeks if bad potential and failing every task. "Why do I have to get a job right away? Nim doesn't have one." I point out almost wanting to throw a fit. "Nim also doesn't have a father who practically runs the best business in town." My dad replies.

That was a low blow. Nim doesn't even have a dad anymore, he died about four years ago from an unknown illness. Of course I knew him and what he did as a livestock dealer in two. But ever since he passed it seems that the animals noticed and died off, the only surviving animals is the cow, two horses, and a few chickens. Not much to live from yet the business was to be handed down to Nim but he doesn't know a darn thing about dealing with people professionally to try to be dealing the livestock. Plus he has no livestock left. "Is my job going to be hard to do?" I ask thinking about how I, even though he's my best friend, didn't want to end up like Nim. "You'd follow me around and then when you got comfortable I'd let someone start training you on a job you'd probably end up doing." Dad takes a gulp of milk then stares down at me.

"I know it's not the thing you want to do right now but think about it." He stands up and takes his dishes to the kitchen where I hear the clatter as he drops them in the sink. "I'll do it." I announce as he walks out of the kitchen and I get up from the table to put my dishes away. "Great," He smirks as I enter the kitchen and place my dishes in the sink too. "You start next Monday. We leave at seven so be up by six, I'll get you a uniform tomorrow." He informs me with his hands on his hips and an accomplished look across his face. I simply nod and head towards my room, grabbing a container of crickets and feeding my sisters lizard at least ten since I didn't feed her this morning.

Natalie would be so mad if she found out I forgot about her pet but it is her pet and she always asks me to feed it and water it so I kinda consider it mine over hers. After her lizard is done munching on the crickets I take it by it's rough sides and place it on my chest and rub it down it's spine. "What am I going to do, Hera?" I ask the lizard who doesn't do anything in response besides close it's eyes and fall asleep on me. What am I going to tell Nim? What's going to happen between my father and myself? I guess I'll just have to find out for myself.


End file.
